A bright and fragrant Brazilian stew, where fish simmers gently with tomato, bell pepper, coconut milk, cilantro, and dendê oil. The sauce is creamy, orange-hued, slightly tart, and deeply tropical.
Ingredients
- 800 g thick cod fillets
- 2 pieces limes
- 3 cloves garlic cloves
- 1 piece yellow onion
- 3 pieces ripe tomatoes
- 1 piece red bell pepper
- 1 piece green bell pepper
- 400 ml unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 tbsp dendê oil or edible red palm oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 piece fresh red chile
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- to taste fine salt
- to taste ground black pepper
Method
- Cut the fish into large pieces, then toss it with the lime juice, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper; let rest in the refrigerator until it smells distinctly of lime and garlic.
- Slice the onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, and chile; keep the slices even so they melt down without fully disappearing.
- In a wide Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the onion, and sweat for a few minutes until it becomes translucent and sweet-smelling.
- Add the bell peppers, chile, and a portion of the tomatoes, then cook, stirring gently, until the vegetables begin to soften and release their juices.
- Lay the fish pieces over this bed of vegetables, without crowding them too much, then cover with the remaining tomatoes and a little chopped cilantro.
- Pour the coconut milk around the fish, cover, and simmer gently until the sauce bubbles without boiling hard and the fish becomes opaque.
- Add the dendê oil, gently tilting the pot to incorporate it without breaking the fish, then continue cooking until the sauce takes on a deep orange hue.
- Taste the sauce, adjust the salt, pepper, and lime if needed, then scatter with fresh cilantro just before serving piping hot.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 523.2 kcal
- Protein
- 39.16 g
- Carbohydrate
- 12.09 g
- Fat
- 35.08 g
- Fibre
- 3.23 g
- Calcium
- 170.87 mg
- Iron
- 0.35 mg
- Magnesium
- 12.34 mg
